Concealed locking means for removable bridgework



April 27, 1954 J. H. GREENE CONCEALED LOCKING MEANS FOR REMOVABLE BRIDGEWORK Filed Nov. 17, 1952 38 INVENTOR.

JOHN H.GREENE BY W W FIG].

ATTOR EYS Patented Apr. 27, 1954 CONCEALED LOCKING MEANS'F OR REMOVABLE BRIDGEWORK John H. Greene, Detroit, Mich. Application November 17, 1952, Serial N 0.. 320,969

Claims...

The present invention relates to concealed locking means. for removable bridge work and particularly, means. at the forward or mesial abutment adapted to retain the mesial end of the bridge in place. The use of the invention,. while capable of general application, is especially indicated in short bite cases, where the bridge replaces two to four posterior teeth.

Described in general terms, the inventioncomprises bridge work which includes an inlay. to be provided at the distal side of the tooth at the mesial end of the gap to be filled by the bridge. The, inlay includes an interlocking connection adapted to cooperate with correspondingly formed structure on the mesial end of thebridge, the interlocking structure being completely-concealed when the bridge is in place and providing a hinge or pivot connection between the mesial end of the bridge and the inlay. The distal end of the, bridge is provided with a clasp of the usual type adapted to engage the tooth at the distalend of the gap. More particularly, the interlock con-. nection formed between the inlay and the mesial end of the bridge preferably comprises a hinge socket at the occlusal side of the inlay anda looking recess spaced inwardly or gumwardly from the. socket. Intermediate and connecting the recess and socket is a slot. The structure. at the mesial end of the bridgecomprises a hinge element preferably in the form of a transversely elongated bar of arcuate cross-section which is. rotatable in the socket. the'bridge there. is. provided a male looking element. adapted to be received in the lockingrecess. Intermediate .the bar and locking element is a slot guide adaptedto enter into a slot intermediate the socket and recess so as to guide the locke ing element into the recess. With'the foregoing construction the bridge is mounted by placing the hinge bar in the socket while the clasp end of the bridge is elevated, and thereafter swinging the clasp into engagement with its. tooth.

With the foregoing general description in mind, it is an object of the present invention to'provide bridge work characterized by the fact that the normally visible portion of the bridge includes concealed locking means.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide bridge Work which includes concealed locking means associated with an inlay and cooperating locking means provided on the adjacent end of a removable bridge.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide bridge work which comprises an inlay having therein hinge mounting and locking struc- At the gingival side of Other objects andfeatures of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, es,-v

pecially-when taken in conjunction with the. ac.-

' companying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the removable bridge andthe mounting structure therefor.

Figure 2 is a plan view of a tooth having an inlay therein for mounting the removable bridge.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33, Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an elevational view of the tooth and inlay looking toward thev inlay.

Figure, 5 is a sideelevation of the hinge and lock construction. at the anterior end .of the bridge- Figure 6 is a plan view of the structure shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is an elevational view of as, seen from the left in Figure 5.

Referring. now to the drawings, in Figure 1 there is shown. a series, of teeth m, 12 and [4, there being a gap between the teeth l2 and 14 in which a removable bridge is to be mounted, teeth 12 and Mbeing connected by gingival tissue It. The tooth I4 is located at the mesial side of. the gap and is accordingly in such a position that it is. visible. The present invention provides a connection between the bridge and the tooth [4 which avoids the use of unsightly clasps and which is substantially completely concealed in use.

In Figure 1 the removable bridge is illustrated in its entirety'at It and is herein shown as comprising two teeth l8 and 2%. The bridge I6 is provided at its distal end with a clasp 22 of usual type which is adapted to be associated with the tooth l2 when the removable bridge is inserted. Thebridge work comprises inlay structure indicated generally at 24 carried by the tooth l4, and mounting and locking means 26 carried at the mesialend of the bridge.

Referring now to Figures .2-4 the detailed con struction of the inlay is illustrated. The inlay 24 is provided at the occlusal surface with a transversely elongated socket 23. The socket is .of arcu-ate cross-section and is open at the occlusal side thereof, or the side away from thegum.

Spaced gingivally of the socket 28 is a locking recess 30 and intermediate the socket 28 and the recess or female element 36 is a slot 32, the sides of which are preferably tapered outwardly as best the structure 645 seen in Figure 2.

Referring now to Figures there is illustrated the hinge and locking structure carried at the mesial end of the bridge and adapted to cooperate with the hinge and locking structure of the inlay. The mounting and locking means 26 includes a transversely extending hinge bar 3 3, the inner side or which is arcuately curved as illustrated in Figure 5, and which is adapted to seat in the socket 2B and to provide for guided swinging movement of the bridge in the manner of a hinge. The socket 28 is of such depth so that the hinge bar 34 is held against relative movement in any direction except outwardly of the tooth [4 when the hinge bar is in place. The mounting and locking means 2 6 includes a male locking element 36 which extends transversely and which is shaped to enter and fit snugly within the locking recess 30. Inasmuch as the locking element 36 moves in an arcuate path about the axis of the hinge established between the bar 34 and the recess 28, the locking element is preferably of the arcuate shape best illustrated in Figure 6.

Intermediate the lockin element 35 and the hinge bar 34 the mounting and locking means includes a relatively narrow guide portion 38 which is tapered, as best illustrated in Figure 6, to conform to the corresponding taper of the slot 32. The guide portion 38 therefore enters the slot 32 as the bridge is swung towards its inserted position and serves as means for guiding the male locking element 36 directly into the recess 36.

It will be apparent that when the male locking element 36 has entered the recess 30, the anterior end of the bridge is firmly locked in place against mesial, distal, occlusal, gingival, buccal or lingual movement. Thus, when the clasp 22 is engaged with the tooth [2, the bridge is firmly anchored in position and can be removed only by a swinging movement resulting from disengaging the clasp 22 from the tooth I2 and thereafter swinging the bridge upwardly about the hinge axis established between the hinge bar 34 and the socket 28. It will further be apparent that the construction described avoids the use of an unsightly clasp at the mesial end of the bridge and that when the bridge is in position, the mounting and locking structure 26 on the bridge is concealed by the tooth M.

The drawings and the foregoing specification constitute a description of the improved concealed locking means for removable bridge work in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. Removable bridge work comprising an inlay adapted to be mounted in the tooth at one side of a space to be filled by a bridge, said inlay having formed thereby one-half of a separable hinge construction, a bridge having a clasp at one end for engagement with the tooth at the other side of the space to be filled by the bridge, said bridge having at its other end the other half of the aforesaid hinge construction, the two halves of the hinge construction being shaped for relative swinging movement about an axis transverse to the line connecting said hinge construction and said clasp, the portion of said hinge construction in said inlay comprising a socket portion at the occlusal surface, and the half on said bridge includin a pivot portion receivable in said socket portion and fitting therein to prevent mesial, distal, buccal, lingual and gingival displacement of said pivot portion, said socket and pivot portion being of circular cross-section to provide for vertical swinging movement of the clasp end of said bridge, said inlay and bridge having cooperating male and female portions engageable when said clasp has engaged its tooth to prevent all relative movements between the mesial end of said bridge and said inlay.

2. Structure as defined in claim 1, said inlay and bridge having cooperating guide portions intermediate said hinge halves and said male and female portions effective to guide said male and female portions into engagement upon hinged swinging of said bridge to move said clasp toward its tooth.

3. Bridge work including a removable bridge adapted to fill a gap between a pair of separated teeth, said bridge work including an inlay adapted to be set in the mesial one of said teeth in position to be concealed by said bridge, interfittin means on said inlay and bridge adapted to connect the mesial end of said bridge rigidly to said inlay and to be concealed by said bridge, the distal end of said bridge having a clasp for engagement with the distal one of said teeth, said interfitting means comprising separable hinge portions located toward the occlusal surfaces of said bridge and inlay, and interfitting male and female portions located toward the gum from said hinge portions.

4. Structure as defined in claim 3, said interfitting means comprising separable hinge portions located toward the ocelusal surfaces of said bridge and inlay, interlocking male and female portions located toward the gum from said hinge portions, and guide portions intermediate said hinge portions and said male and female portions operable to guide said male and female portions into engagement upon relative swinging motion between said hinge portions.

5. Bridge work includin a removable bridge adapted to fill a gap between a pair of separated teeth, said bridge work including an inlay adapted to be set in the mesial one of said teeth in position to be concealed by said bridge, said inlay having in its side adjacent the gap an occlusally open transversely extended socket of arcuate cross-section, a vertical slot facing said gap, and a transversely extending recess spaced gingivally from said socket, said bridge having at its mesial end a transversely extending portion having portions of arcuate cross-section fitting within said socket and forming a hinge therewith, a slot guide on said bridge shaped to fit within said slot, and a transversely extending interlock portion shaped to fit within said recess, said bridge having a clasp at its posterior end for engagement with a tooth.

References Cited in the file of this patent 

